The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a magnetic stimulator which can noninvasively treat a neurological disease such as Parkinson disease and depression.
A neurological disease such as Parkinson disease or depression is treated by one of psychoanalysis therapy, pharmacologic therapy, and therapy in which the brain is directly stimulated. It is argued that, among such treatment methods, the therapy in which the brain is directly stimulated is particularly effective for treatment of a part of neurological diseases.
As a therapy in which the brain is directly stimulated, recently, a magnetic stimulation therapy which applies magnetic stimulation to a specific area of the brain of the patient is beginning to be used. The magnetic stimulation therapy is a treatment method in which an electric field is induced in the skull to stimulate a nerve. Tissues can be stimulated without dissipating the magnetic energy, and the brain can be stimulated more correctly and more surely (see Japanese Patent No. 5,053,080).
In the magnetic stimulation therapy, however, it is known that, in the case where treatment in which magnetic stimulation is applied at a high frequency of 1 Hz or higher is performed, there is a possibility that an epilepsy seizure occurs as a side effect depending on the patient.
The presently disclosed subject matter provides a magnetic stimulator in which, when an adverse event such as an epilepsy seizure is observed during treatment with a magnetic stimulation therapy, the treatment can be promptly suppressed, and a neurological disease can be noninvasively treated.